The original tree of the ‘Sandersville’ variety of Acer saccharum, was discovered in 1996 growing in a cultivated area in Sandersville, Ga. (zone 8). The tree had grown from a seedling tree. The age of the original tree is believed to be approximately 60 years old.
Acer saccharum is sparsely native to the region, yet plants struggle in the heat of zone 8 and fall color of sugar maple trees known to the inventors that are growing in zone 8 is weak (not vibrant) and inconsistent. The original tree was noted by one of the inventors for its heat tolerance and its vibrant orange fall color displayed in a region where vibrant fall color, even in a year of good fall color, is unexpected. Growing in zone 8, at the southern end of Acer saccharum's native range, ‘Sandersville’ has proven itself tolerant of the long summers full of hot days and occasionally equally hot nights.
These traits of heat tolerance and vibrant orange fall colors led one of the inventors to select and propagate the tree. Cuttings were taken from the original tree and have been grown and observed at a nursery site in Monroe, Ga. (zone 7) and Hawkinsville, Ga. (zone 8). Upon observing these asexually reproduced progeny of the new tree in a nursery setting, the heat tolerance of the new variety has been confirmed and the new variety has displayed consistently vibrant orange fall color on a yearly basis, even when fall color in a given year of other sugar maple trees in the area was not well-expressed. Also, the new tree is remarkably fast-growing, with an average of 1.2 meters per year observed in the asexually reproduced progeny. Unlike other sugar maples that shut down in the heat of zones 7 and 8, ‘Sandersville’ continues growing throughout the summer. These three traits (heat tolerance, vibrant orange fall color, rapid growth) have convinced the inventors that the tree is indeed a new variety.
The original tree of this new sugar maple variety has been successfully propagated by softwood cuttings at the direction of one of the inventors. This asexual reproduction was accomplished in Boring, Oreg., and Bishop, Ga. This asexual propagation of this new variety by cuttings has demonstrated that the novel characteristics of this new variety are fixed, stable, and reproduce true to type through asexual propagation. These observations confirm that ‘Sandersville’ represents a new, distinct, and improved variety of sugar maple tree, as particularly evidenced by the combination of unique characteristics described below.
Vibrant orange fall color: ‘Sandersville’ was first noted by the discoverers because of its vibrant orange fall color in zone 8. Observations of this uncommon vibrant orange fall color over 10 years has proven the reliability of this trait: year after year the fall color has been consistent, even in years of poor fall color expression for other sugar maple trees in the area.
Rapid growth and heat tolerance: ‘Sandersville’ was discovered growing in zone 8 and tested in nursery settings in zones 7 and 8. The heat of zone 8 is considered the southern limit for Acer saccharum, and ‘Sandersville’ was selected because it thrives despite the stress of zone 8 heat. This heat tolerance is manifested in its rapid growth. After the initial spring flush, ‘Sandersville’ flushes again and grows throughout the summer, whereas other sugar maple trees growing in the area substantially stop growing or shut down around June. This continued growth of the new variety results in new shoots growing as much as 1.5 meters (observed in asexually propagated progeny) in a single season (averaged 1.2 meters).